Winning
by HeathenVampires
Summary: Modern AU. Of all the scenarios Hiccup had imagined in his mind, deep in his daydreams, losing a game of Laser Tag wasn't anywhere on the list. Hiccstrid one shot


**Short daft quickie prompt I got and needed because I'm in such a bloody awful rut.**

 **Do not expect much from this please. Actually just don't read it.**

 **pre-Hiccstrid modern AU laser tag... it's been _years_ since I played laser tag so please don't yell at me for getting it wrong.**

-HTTYD-

Tuff charged in to their group, holding a leaflet in his hand like it was the best thing he'd ever seen and a slightly wild look in his eyes. Hiccup eyed it warily, never really trusting Tuffnut and his ideas.

"Look! This is the best thing ever!"

"What is it?"

Astrid quizzed, swiping the leaflet from his hand and shaking the crumpled glossy paper open to examine properly.

"Laser tag?"

"Yeah! It's a game where you shoot each other!"

Sometimes, Hiccup really worried about Tuff. He was quick to correct the strange boy.

"Laser tag is a non contact sport, and the guns shoot sensors not bullets."

"Oh, that's less fun."

Tuff pouted sulkily, but Hiccup's cousin was already swaggering and grinning proudly.

"I could beat anybody at this game. Strategy and intelligence. I am full of that! And it takes real warrior skills to master!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes at Scott, already sensing where this conversation would end up. Sure enough, Ruff - Tuff's equally insane sister - soon piped up.

"So when are we going to play? I want to see the Snotman lose horrifically."

Astrid grinned, looking around their group. Justin was already looking unsure.

"I can't, I have to go and walk Meatlug!"

His girlfriend Heather patted Justin's arm, smiling softly at him and Hiccup looked on longingly. Not for Heather, that was. Just a wish that a certain spunky blonde would look at him the same way. Tamping down on his crush, Hiccup realised Justin had left and Heather was talking.

"... three on three. Boys versus girls?"

"I'm in!"

Astrid and Ruff agreed simultaneously, which left it almost a matter of pride for Hiccup, Tuff and Scott to take up the challenge. He nodded, belly fizzing at Astrid's eyes lighting up with the prospect of competition. It was a good look on her.

"Great! Shall we go see if we can play now?"

Apparently there was no respite for Hiccup before the embarrassment would begin; he didn't think he'd be awful at the game, but 'team work' with Scott was already fighting a losing battle. He tried to be every member of the team, not letting anyone help and usually to his own cost. Still, it could be fun to play in general, and that was what Hiccup focused on as they headed toward the arcade.

"We can play when this game ends, awesome!"

That time before the next game was spent in a safety briefing - Hiccup didn't realise how seriously they took it - and then getting fitted with their sensor vest and guns. He was the only person there who was left handed, but it didn't take much for the staff to switch his gun to be used that way. They split into their 'teams' while waiting, mostly Scott and Astrid giving each other challenging stares and tapping their plastic guns menacingly. Tuff kept trying to shoot his own vest with it even though it wasn't yet turned on. One of the staff members looked at him in confusion.

"Alright. Elimination game. If you run out of energy, your gun will stop working. Retreat to a safe zone until the game ends."

Finally, the previous players were done. After the staff checked nothing was broken or dislodged in the arena, they were split up to different entrances, counted down and sent on their way. Immediately plunged into near darkness by the blacklit area, only stripes of bright blue and orange to offer any light for them. The effect was quite strange - everyone looked like they were doused in UV paint, Tuff even more so with his light hair now a chalky blue.

Hiccup wondered how Astrid looked under the lights. Probably as attractive as ever. His vest pinged; he'd been shot! Glancing around in shock, he spotted Heather staring at him from an almost-hidden alcove. Knowing there was a five second delay to stop him simply being shot to elimination all at once, Hiccup cursed and got moving. Finding his own safe spot, he peered around the corner, spotting Ruff waving her gun side to side as she spun back and forth. Aiming, he pressed the trigger and saw a satisfying flash of light - he'd scored a hit!

Ruff whipped around, but didn't seem to see Hiccup as he hid away quickly. Knowing he couldn't stay there forever, Hiccup glanced around for his teammates, who were nowhere to be seen. When he stepped out again, he saw Astrid and Heather back to back, scanning around with blasters at the ready. Waiting until they weren't facing him, Hiccup dashed along for the next looping lines of the maze-like arena. The lights left streaks on his vision for a second, blinked away quickly; just in time to see Scott appear, then take a hit. His vest indicated it wasn't the first time, meaning Scott was closer to elimination than Hiccup.

They were definitely going to get beaten if the girls were working together while the boys were playing as individuals. Creeping along, Hiccup grabbed Scott and hauled him out of harms way to his little hideaway around the corner.

"We'll lose if we don't work together!"

"There's no Snot in team! I'm fine!"

Shaking his head, Hiccup watched Scott charge out again and take another hit; he had one more life left. Since he was determined to play alone, Hiccup supposed he should see if Tuff had survived and went sneaking off. Tuff was located hiding several corners away, no lives lost but also no shots scored. He looked up at Hiccup, confused.

"Hey Hiccup! I figure I won't lose this way."

"You also won't win, we'll get eliminated and you'll have no points."

Frowning, Tuff straightened up.

"That's like losing! No way! My sister is not beating me. Lead the way!"

Creeping along with the Thorston male in tow, Hiccup spied Heather looking intently in a different direction, raised his gun and fired. It landed, distracting her from probably eliminating Scott. Astrid leapt out from nowhere, managed to hit Hiccup and Tuff in quick succession before running off to avoid a retaliation shot. Damnit! Heather was acting as decoy, and Hiccup had fallen for it. Mindful of being half down, Hiccup sent Tuff ahead since he had more life to lose and they shifted to the next hiding spot.

Only then did he realise there was an 'upstairs', nudging Tuff and pointing out the way up. The other boy nodded, following Hiccup as they glanced around surreptitiously, then made a dash for it. They made it, but the girls had seen and so it wasn't quite the strategic advantage Hiccup had hoped for. He managed to land another shot on Ruff, amazed to see her vest went dark. She was out!

He heard her swearing over the sound of footsteps and that electronic beeping their guns and vests made, chuckled to himself and heard Tuff woop that he'd outlasted her.

"Come on H! We can win this!"

It was two to two unless Scott was hanging on downstairs, but both boys were down at least one life and Astrid was still full, Heather only one down. They weaved in and out of the twists and turns, hit a dead end and quickly turned back. Tuff landed a hit on Astrid, who managed to get one right back before they all moved out of sight of the other again. A chance excursion out was too risky and Tuff took another hit, leaving him down to one life.

"Thorston battle frenzy!"

Before Hiccup could ask - or _stop him -_ Tuff had charged out, waving his blaster and firing at random. One hit landed, but it cost him dearly and Hiccup winced as his teammate went dark at last. Alone against Heather _and_ Astrid, Hiccup was on even higher alert. To his great surprise, Scott came charging upstairs, but it ended in a sort of Western showdown between he and Heather where the two eliminated each other in the same heartbeat.

That left him and Astrid, with Hiccup at the presumed disadvantage based on his count. They circled around, Hiccup checking around every corner twice before he moved. Astrid still managed to shoot him, a flash of blonde hair illuminated blue disappearing when he turned to see where the shot came from. He couldn't just hide if he wanted a shot of hitting her before he lost, so Hiccup went in that direction, gun held ready to fire. Craning his head to check the corner, Hiccup slipped around it.

Astrid grabbed him, hand on his vest pushing Hiccup back against the wall. In the blacklight, her teeth were even more stark as she smiled, hair lit up by the blue light, eyes wide and dilated with the exertion and exhilaration of the game. Fairly certain all the weird lights had caused hallucinations, Hiccup felt soft lips against his own.

 _Astrid was kissing him!_

Hiccup didn't care if it was a dream or a hallucination, it was better than his wildest fantasies and he wasn't about to complain it was happening. The hand not clutching her weapon slid into Hiccup's hair, tongue slipping between his lips to steal his breath away completely. When she pulled back, he couldn't tell in the mixed light but he _thought_ Astrid's cheeks might be flushed. In his Astrid-induced daze, Hiccup didn't even notice until it was too late...

She shot him point blank, his vest giving a final whine before going dark.

"I win!"

Blinking, Hiccup watched Astrid run off, leaving him feeling confused and, if he was honest, a touch hurt. Had she really just done that to _win?_

Shaking it off - he could ask her when he found her - Hiccup headed off toward one of the exits, eyes protesting the change to normal light again when they returned to the real world. Handing over his gun then shifting off the vest, Hiccup forced himself not to look over at Astrid in case he made a fool of himself in front of everyone else.

"Well, Hiccup held out the longest"

"but I do believe we girls defeated you!"

Astrid and Heather both grinned, while Scott and Tuff were grumbling as they got ready to go. Still feeling wrong-footed, Hiccup followed his friends outside. Only then did he feel a hand slide through his own, turned to see the owner of said hand was Astrid. When he looked at her in confusion, she simply winked. After a minute, everyone else noticed.

"Yes! Scott, you owe me ten quid!"

Heather clapped, then nudged Scott who stared at them incredulously.

"Aw come on! Hiccup? Really? Why settle for him when you could have this?"

He flexed his arms, and Astrid rolled her eyes, slid an arm around Hiccup's waist and leant against him quite cosily. Still rather stunned by the development - and the fact their friends didn't seem all that surprised - Hiccup watched Scott grumble and hand over the money to Heather.

"I call cheating! She's your best friend, you already knew she had a crush on Hiccup."

"True, but you still took my bet."

Hiccup looked at Astrid, who shrugged, smiled, and took his hand again. That was more than enough to make him feel like a winner.

-HTTYD-

 **To throw or not to throw the whole one shot away... that is the question.**

 **We'll see... I might take this down again tomorrow. I might just forget about it ever existing. Who knows!**


End file.
